Films of the acoustic recording process

[operabass78s]

I came across this stub in Raymond Sooy's memoirs just now

After making a picture of the artists singing the "Sextette" the photographer then went into the operating room and made a picture of what he and many others thought was the actual procedure of recording a record, but this mechanical work was arranged specially for the motion picture. After this the employees of the entire Plant were photographed marching up Cooper Street, about 10,500 in number.

This motion picture proved quite a surprise as well as educational. It was indeed interesting to the dealers.
The pictures were made by Lubin and Company, Philadelphia, Pa.

Curious to see if this film still exists or if anybody has seen it. I have been unable to find any motion picture clips of acoustic studios or recording other than the violin snippet from Edison's "Black Maria" and a short clip of Galli-Curci I recall seeing but cannot locate.

[Wolfe]

Those are rare.

Here's Charlie Chaplin conducting an acoustic session with Abe Lyman's band.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SiJ8ribG74[/youtube]

A little stagey, since they had to provide ample lighting and backdrop for the film exposure, but otherwise it looks real. Notice the recorders hand signaling through the little window.



Even rarer are any films that give you a glimpse of the recording machinery. The only ones I know are modern, like the thing with Roberto Alagna.

[estott]

While not an acoustic studio, here is the Columbia studio (UK) in 1928.




[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W53txQbHYHE[/youtube]

[estott]

And here is a Hollywood recreation of an acoustic recording session, with Lauritz Melchior - and not entirely inaccurate. (Starts at about 8:30 in this clip)[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i74xUnvfuHQ[/youtube]

[operabass78s]

I love the little nod to Nipper in the Melchior clip. He recorded via the horn so I'm sure he was familiar with the session work. I recall also a clip with Mario Lanza from "The Great Caruso" showing a dramatized session. Maybe this was for drama purposes but I am curious: It appears in the film as though the master wax was electroplated than played. Was this the common practice? My thoughts would be that doing so may damage the master and it would make more sense to make a negative (stamper) then stamp a test pressing.

[epigramophone]

The Galli-Curci clip, which also shows her pressing a record, is included in a VHS tape "The History of Recording". I believe the filming took place during her visit to the HMV factory in 1924.

I obtained my copy, and several other interesting titles, from the Bel Canto Society,Inc.(www.belcantosociety.org)

[estott]

In the Lauritz Melchior clip they were trying to show the Berliner acid etch process which produced a zinc master that could be played back after etching. Of course that would have been decades before the back mount phonograph they showed, but hey- it was Hollywood. There were plenty of Stroh violins and all of the moving back and forth for balance has some basis in fact, though exaggerated for comic effect.

Gladys Rice recalled that she would duck down below the horn during instrumental passages.

[CptBob]

I love the little nod to Nipper in the Melchior clip.

More than a nod - clearly an early example of product placement. Perhaps not that early as that film was made in 1946. An interesting subject and I wonder what other examples of gramophone related product placement there are in early films.

[Henry]

The Galli-Curci clip, which also shows her pressing a record, is included in a VHS tape "The History of Recording". I believe the filming took place during her visit to the HMV factory in 1924.

I obtained my copy, and several other interesting titles, from the Bel Canto Society,Inc.(http://www.belcantosociety.org)

I can find no listing for either "Galli-Curci" or "The History of Recording" on the Bel Canto site. Perhaps the history video is O/P? The omission of Galli-Curci strikes me as rather curious, since she ranks among the very greatest. What am I missing here?

[Harold Aherne]

More films of acoustic recording:

The March of Time (1937), showing a re-creation of the ODJB's first Victor session (1:50):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHZIsfJ-m8U

"Because" from The Great Caruso (1951). Anachronistic because Caruso actually recorded the song in December 1912 and Gloria Caruso wasn't born until 7 years later, but oh well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03LoO5GR04Y

An interesting subject and I wonder what other examples of gramophone related product placement there are in early films.

There are a number of silent films and early talkies that show close-ups of record labels, sometimes as a suggestion for musical accompaniment or as a visual pun. I've included the catalogue number where I can remember it what the selection was:

Old Wives for New (1918) a Victor disc is seen, and a Vernis-Martin Victrola is also on display

Don't Change Your Husband (1919) "Naughty! Naughty! Naughty!" by Marguerite Farrell (Vic 18213) is shown, along with one other Victor disc

Why Change Your Wife? (1920) "Hindustan" by the Joseph C. Smith orchestra (Vic 18507) is what fun-loving Thomas Meighan wants to listen to, while "The Dying Poet" by the Victor Concert Orchestra (Vic 35642) is what Gloria Swanson considers more suitably cultured.

Love Never Dies (1921) a Victor disc of "Love's Old Sweet Song" is seen--forgot which one

Spring Fever (1927) two Victor discs are shown

My Best Girl (1927) "Red Hot Mama" by the Ray Miller orchestra (Br 2681) is seen spinning on a turntable

The Crowd (1928) "There's Everything Nice About You" by Johnny Marvin (Vic 20612) is shown

Lord Byron of Broadway (1930) a Columbia Viva-Tonal is seen playing on a turntable